The same thing in reverse isn't market manipulation. Buying call options or the stock itself is legal.
What can be market manipulation is to collude with others to move a stock price not because you believe it is worth a different amount, but because you predict others will react to the movement you create. That applies to collusion involving shorts (bear raids) too. Proving the collusion and the artificial price bit is the difficult bit
What can be market manipulation is to collude with others to move a stock price not because you believe it is worth a different amount, but because you predict others will react to the movement you create. That applies to collusion involving shorts (bear raids) too. Proving the collusion and the artificial price bit is the difficult bit